Sir Kingsford produces gutsy effort to win Port Adelaide Cup
It was heart in mouth viewing, but a lion-hearted Sir Kingsford staved off Victorian raider Basilinna to win Saturday's Port Adelaide Cup at Morphettville.
Piloting the field in his first attempt at 2500m, Sir Kingsford refused to lay down in a toe-to-toe battle with Basilinna, after the mare threw down the gauntlet at the top of the straight.
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Emotions spilt over for Gawler handler Nicole Searle, who trains in partnership with husband Gary, and daughter, Brianna Callanan.
'What a great feeling. To our team at home, well done,' Searle said post-race.
'You've all worked hard. Gary and Brianna, and to the owners of this horse, it's been a long journey.
'We trained his mum, we lost her, unfortunately, last year. We were really looking forward to the filly that she was carrying but this is a tough horse.
'He's just a really nice horse and probably has taken over the mantle from Lady Silhouette as the best horse we've had.'
Sir Kingsford won by a length, guided by a brilliant frontrunning ride from Teagan Voorham, it secured a second Port Adelaide Cup win for Voorham, who saluted aboard Hasta La War in 2023.
Voorham admitted that she thought Basilinna, ridden by Lachlan Neindorf, would overhaul them, but Sir Kingsford kept on fighting.
'I personally was worried. I thought when Lachie got to me, he's going to go straight past me,' Voorham said.
'But this horse, he's unreal. He hears another horse and he just digs harder and harder every time.
'Every time I thought Lachie was going past me, Sir Kingsford, 'Billy' as we call him – he just said absolutely not.'
Teagan Voorham, Nicole Searle and connections pose with Sir Kingsford after the Port Adelaide Cup win at Morphettville on Saturday. Picture: Makoto Kaneko
Gun filly On Display, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, charged home for an electric win in the Adelaide Guineas (1600m).
Ridden by Ben Melham, the filly peeled to the outside at the 400m, letting go with a blistering turn of foot to defy local hope Stirrup Cup. The result helped connections put a luckless last start run with the filly behind them.
'It's a nice consolation, we've always liked this filly,' Kent Jr said.
'Expensive purchase, gorgeous type, (she's) always had a big sprint on her.'
Felicity Atkinson steered Voltage Point to an impressive first up win for trainer Chris Bieg, the apprentice hoop is riding in career-best form.
The result kicked off an early double for Bieg, who later found success with Annihilate in the Autumn Series Final (1600m).
Trainer Stephen Theodore trusted his horse Fine Future to get the money on Saturday, and that confidence was well founded, the Japanese gelding stormed away to win under Jamie Melham in the David Thomas Memorial Provincial Pathways Final.
It was an emotional victory for Theodore, who spoke of his friendship with the late Thomas, who was a well-respected and loved figure in South Australian racing.
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